On July 16, 2008, two United Nations peace keepers were photographed saluting a truck which contained the coffins of Hezbollah militants. The incident outraged Israeli officials, but UN representatives claim that the peace keepers were merely observing customary military policy by saluting fallen soldiers.1
"I think this is a very tragic and sad day for the United Nations when its soldiers who were sent there because of Hezbollah terrorist activities salute the terrorists and the killers."—Dan Gillerman, Israel's ambassador to the UN
"It is customary in most armies for military personnel in uniform to salute whenever a coffin passes in a procession. They were merely following this customary military tradition and saluted coffins draped in Lebanese national flags at their own initiative."—Yasmina Bouziane, UNIFIL spokesperson1